This application relates to the use of a baffle plate separating a compressor discharge chamber into sub-chambers, in the type of compressor having plural cyclically discharging flows.
Many types of compressors are utilized to compress various fluids. In one general type of compressor, the flow of a compressed fluid from the compression chambers occurs cyclically from a plurality of compression chambers. As an example, in a screw compressor having three rotors, there are two compression sets between, with one center screw and each one of the two side screws. These sets periodically discharge a compressed refrigerant into a discharge chamber through discharge ports. The ports are on opposed sides of the discharge chamber. If a single discharge chamber is utilized, there is the potential for cyclic fluctuations in the conditions within the discharge chamber. One example of such a compression discharge structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,480, entitled Housing for Screw Compressor.
In such a three-screw compressor, the cyclic discharges create a fluid frequency which approached the natural mechanical frequency of the overall compressor, at compression speeds that were within the expected range of operation speeds for the compressor. When these two frequencies approached each other, unacceptable vibration occurred. Also, the magnitude of fluctuation and resultant noise are undesirably high in this existing compressor.